


Sunshine (2016)

by viberating



Category: Original Work
Genre: Multi, Past Traumatic Experiences, steve just wants to live his life, that college student life, why am i writing this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-10
Updated: 2017-10-10
Packaged: 2019-01-15 16:18:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12324510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/viberating/pseuds/viberating
Summary: Safety be damned, Steve’s going to solve his first case if it kills him. (And it very well might).





	Sunshine (2016)

“Obviously you understand the dangers associated with this business. You’re at a constant risk. Suspects or even victims’ families might confront you, try to harm you, or harass you.” Commissioner Watson’s dark brown eyes bore into Steve’s, mature and open.

“Yes, I understand that.” Steve masks his mild irritation with a serious nod and solemn expression. This has been drilled into him already, multiple times. He spent three years as a police officer, getting shot at, chasing criminals down on foot and by car, driving teens home past curfew, checking abandoned, decrepit brick and wood buildings for illegal activity. He’d passed all his tests, gotten all his training, learned to shoot a pistol for goodness sake.

“All right. In any case, welcome, Grayson, to the Night City Police Department’s Wing of Homicide Investigation.” She smiles sincerely. “You put in a good resumé, so I’m placing you as Fenton’s assistant.”

“Right.” Steve doesn’t want to be someone’s assistant, but he expects as much. Of course he’ll have to go through the process of proving himself again. He follows Evelyn Watson down a corridor to a heavy wooden door, the small square window blocked by a piece of cloth. She knocks twice before opening the door, flooding the dim room with light.

“John, this is your new assistant. Try not to make him cry.”

Steve realizes two things—one, she called him by his first name and two, the room is a mess, although such an observation hardly takes a detective. There are stacks of everything in an office that could be stacked. Books, papers, files, manila folders. Newspaper clippings are taped, stapled, and tacked to every inch of the wall. On one of the shorter filing cabinets is an array of coffee mugs that probably need a few cycles in a dishwasher. There’s even a firearm laying on a stack of thick books by the foot of the desk, the shiny metal surface catching the light from the hallway.

“Great. I thought this place needed another young upstart crowding my office with ego,” says the perpetrator of the mess Steve’s quietly observing.

“I’d hardly call myself an upstart, sir,” Steve says. Fenton looks up from his desk and snorts.

“What’s your name, kid?”

Before Steve can say ‘Steve,’ Commissioner Watson says, “This is Grayson.” Steve doesn’t understand her insistence on calling everyone by their middle or last name, but he ignores the detail. He’s only been at work for a half-hour and already he’s exhausted. He desperately wants to go back to his new apartment, take a nap, and spend the rest of the day after that unpacking his things. What his new superiors call him doesn’t concern him much.

“You know what, Eve? I like this kid. He calls me ‘sir.’ Makes me feel all superior and shit.”

Watson is unimpressed. She rolls her eyes and Steve imagines she’s used to Fenton’s ways. “I’ll leave you to it then. Good luck, Grayson. Fenton’s a brilliant man. Under his guidance, you’ll likely get your own office someday.” She pats his shoulder and leaves.

Steve stands awkwardly in the doorway. Fenton raises an eyebrow at him. “Shut that door and get in here. Sit down.” He gestures to the thinly cushioned folding chair in front of his desk, and Steve obeys, shutting the door and sitting in front of the heavy wooden desk.

“So—”

“Shh. I already have two assignments for you, kid.”

“I’m twenty-one.”

“Kid,” Fenton repeats with a shit-eating grin. Steve leans back in the chair and raises an eyebrow at the man. Fenton ignores him and looks down at the open case report in front of him on the desk. “You ever heard of Shrike?”

“No. What’s that?”

“Good.” Fenton smirks, shoving the folder at Steve. “Find out who he is.”

“He?” Steve says, opening the folder. “There’s nothing here,” he says, seeing a few papers with labeled spaces he believes he is meant to fill out.

“Because I want you to fill that out. If you manage to find out the slightest thing, put it on there. Impress me.”

Steve frowns. “This isn’t a homicide.”

“Of course not. But I’m the best damn detective in this entire city, so naturally, I’ve been selected to be on the team of officers investigating this particular case.”

“How am I supposed to…”

“Enough questions, kid. That’s just a fun little side project for you. Take as long as you need on it, and pay attention to detail. You’ll still be helping me with the other shit I do.” Steve closes the folder and nods in agreement, deciding this must be some kind of weird test. He’ll take it. Maybe he can use it as a chance to prove himself to his new...mentor, investigating Shrike, whoever that’s supposed to be. Possibly some gang leader or something, by the sound of it. There’s not much to go off in the report, just a newspaper clipping to start.

“What’s my second assignment?” Steve says finally, looking up at Fenton. His boss runs a hand through his salt and pepper hair, waiting for his assistant’s expectant blue eyes to narrow slightly. Of course he’s doubtful...he was just given some random mystery person to investigate ‘for fun’ as one of his first assignments. John smiles.

“Clean this damn office. In case you haven’t noticed, it’s a mess.”


End file.
